High School Student Enjoys the YAW Program

The high school junior from Audubon, NJ has taken the same class - Fashion Concepts & Illustration - through Moore’s Young Artists Workshop program for the past four years.

“I started the program because I was interested in the combination of fashion and drawing,” Froonjian said. “As I became more interested I took the class again and again. I found it was something I really liked but my ability didn’t match the level of interest I had in it. So I’ve been honing my skills in these classes. I feel like my drawings have improved since I started.”

More than 1,000 students participate in Moore’s youth art programs each year, with boys and girls in grades 1 – 12 attending Saturday classes in the fall and spring and weekdays during the summer. The College’s small size and personalized attention from faculty contribute to the popularity of the youth programs.

Despite taking the same fashion class more than once, Froonjian said she always learns something new.

“One year the teacher might focus on the body, form, proportion, and then another year it might be about fabric rendering or different customers you’re designing for,” she said. “I never get bored in class. They give you a lot of different things to draw inspiration from. I’ve done lots of different projects. New things always come up.”

Amy Pendola ’05, a Moore alumna who teaches the Fashion Concepts & Illustration class, said it’s not unusual for students to take the same class again and again.

“There’s always room for improvement when you’re sketching,” she said. “Students don’t repeat their ideas. They take them further. Sarah enjoys drawing the figure. I’ve been pushing her for more attention to detail and pushing her colors in the renderings of her fabrics.”

This year, Froonjian’s fashion illustration was chosen to grace the cover of the Youth Programs Fashion Show program. The show will take place during Youth Programs Friends & Family Day this Friday from 11 am – 4 pm at the College.

“It’s really exciting,” she said. “I was honored to be chosen.”

Froonjian said her interest in drawing was sparked in the fourth grade, when she started watching Project Runway with her mother.

“I found clothes interesting and just started drawing them,” she said. “Personal style is important to me, how I express myself. This [class] is an extension of that. I may not wear the garments themselves but it’s another creative outlet…over the years my ideas have solidified whereas they were vague before.”

Froonjian, whose older sister has also taken YAW classes at Moore, said she likes how immersive the program is.

“You meet a ton of new people, but it’s not just a one week summer camp,” she said. “A five-week program five days a week is pretty long and intense. It gives you a chance to really build something. The experience that the teachers bring to the program is great.”

Froonjian said she’s still unsure whether she’ll apply to art school or not, but if she does, “I have a ton of artwork I can choose from in my portfolio.”